Queen of My Kitchen - Page 6 of 21 -

16
Aug
2017

Vegan Flax Candied Nuts

categories: Appetizers, Gluten Free, Healthy, Snacks, Vegan

Vegan candied nuts with a multitude of delicious uses. Gluten free and dairy free with no refined sugar.

WARNING – Vegan Flax Candied Nuts are dangerously addictive! Once you start popping them into your mouth you may not be able to stop! The coating on these nuts, which produces a sweet glaze when baked, is made from a simple mixture of coconut sugar and cinnamon that binds to the nuts with the help of a flax egg replacer, which is nothing more than ground flax seeds (sometimes called ground flax meal) mixed with water. If you adhere to a plant-based diet you’re probably very familiar with flax egg replacers as they are an excellent vegan substitute for eggs. (more…)

07
Aug
2017

Carrot Chicken Salad Wraps

categories: Chicken, Salads, Sandwiches

Fun and festive finger sandwiches that make the perfect party appetizer.

I recently purchased a package of sun-dried tomato sandwich wraps and as I was taking them out of the package one afternoon to make lunch their vibrant orange color reminded me, not of tomatoes, but of carrots. Shortly thereafter these Carrot Chicken Salad Wraps were born. I took my basic Clean Chicken Salad recipe, which I have been using for years, and added some classic carrot cake ingredients – finely grated carrots, raisins, and walnuts – to create these festive finger sandwiches. (more…)

02
Aug
2017

Chickpea Cheddar Kefir Biscuits

categories: Bread, Gluten Free, Healthy, Snacks

Kefir takes the place of buttermilk in these savory, gluten-free biscuits made with nutrient dense chickpea flour.

I’ve been experimenting a lot lately with chickpea flour and Chickpea Cheddar Kefir Biscuits are my most recent creation. (Check out Chickpea Pretzels too.) I was initially drawn to chickpea flour as a gluten-free alternative to wheat flour but have come to love it for many others reasons. It’s easy to use and can be successfully substituted for all-purpose wheat flour in a wide variety of recipes, without the addition of other gluten-free flours, starches or gums. It’s also inexpensive and easy to make at home by grinding garbanzo beans into a fine powder – easily achieved with the help of a food processor or high-powered blender. But the best reason of all to use chickpea flour is that it is one of the most nutrient dense gluten-free flours available. It’s high in protein and fiber, and packed with vitamins and minerals. These Chickpea Cheddar Kefir Biscuits have twice the protein and fiber as the same size biscuit made with wheat flour. (more…)

26
Jul
2017

Raspberry Vanilla Swirl Ice Cream Pie with Maple Almond Cookie Crust

categories: Desserts, Gluten Free, Snacks

Raspberry purée is swirled into sweet, creamy vanilla ice cream on top of a delicious gluten-free cookie crust. An impressive, semi-homemade dessert.

July is National Ice Cream Month and I’m coming in right under the wire with this gorgeous Raspberry Vanilla Swirl Ice Cream Pie with Maple Almond Cookie Crust! I thought National Ice Cream Month was something created by ice cream companies to boost their seasonal sales, but, it was actually President Ronald Regan who, back in 1989, declared July National Ice Cream Month. He recognized ice cream as a fun and healthy food enjoyed by the vast majority of the U.S. population and encouraged all citizens to celebrate with appropriate activities and ceremonies. Pretty important stuff for a sitting president! (more…)

21
Jul
2017

Slow Cooker Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Breasts

categories: Chicken, Gluten Free

The Recipe Redux is a group of like-minded food bloggers whose mission is to inspire the food lover in every healthy eater and inspire the healthy eater in every food lover. Each month members post recipes to their blogs following a theme set by the group moderators. This month’s theme is – Beat the Heat with the Slow Cooker/Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker. Click the Recipe Redux link at the bottom of this page to see links to all the posts for this month’s challenge.

If you typically put your slow cooker away during the summer months, you might want to reconsider this. Using your slow cooker to prepare meals, instead of your oven, will not only keep your kitchen cooler in hot weather, but will allow you more time to enjoy all the outdoor activities that the long summer days afford. Most of us associate slow cookers with heavy, winter type dishes like soups and stews. These meals can, of course, be delicious but all too often they are a bland and boring mixture of brown food and who wants to eat that when it’s 90 degrees outside! This recipe for Slow Cooker Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Breasts is especially suited for summer. It’s light and colorful with fresh, bright flavor, and making it is a good way to beat the heat during the dog days of summer! (more…)

17
Jul
2017

Chocolate Thin Mint Avocado Pudding

categories: Desserts, Gluten Free, Healthy, Snacks, Vegan

A rich and creamy chocolate pudding that tastes like a thin mint cookie. A healthy, yet decadent dessert.

If you have an avocado obsession, like I do, chances are you’ll occasionally find yourself with too many ripe avocados. I always have at least two or three avocados on my counter at any given time. I buy them extra firm, but as soon as they become slightly soft to the touch (a sign that they’re ripe) I transfer them to the refrigerator if I’m not using them right away – this extends their life by a few days. After that though, they’re usually brown and splotchy when cut open, with very little flavor. Since I hate wasting food, I always make an effort to use up all my avocados before they go bad and one of the ways I’ve been doing that lately is by making this super simple Chocolate Thin Mint Avocado Pudding. (more…)

10
Jul
2017

Apricot Ginger Turmeric Smoothie

categories: Beverages, Breakfast, Gluten Free, Healthy, Snacks

By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Libby’s Fruits & Vegetables and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

One can never have too many smoothie recipes! Smoothies are an excellent form of nourishment and can easily be tailored to your taste and specific dietary needs. Smoothies are usually made with fresh fruit or berries but the problem with fresh fruit and berries is that they’re perishable and, depending on the season, aren’t always available. Frozen fruit is a good option but most of us have a limited amount of freezer space, especially if we live in tight quarters or have roommates with whom we share a freezer. Canned fruit is the perfect solution to these smoothie-making dilemmas – it has a long shelf life and, as long as it remains unopened, needs no refrigeration. Libby’s is a leader in the canned produce industry and has been delivering high-quality, wholesome products to consumers since 1868. Its canned fruit is awesome in smoothies such as this Apricot Ginger Turmeric Smoothie. I used one 15 ounce can of Libby’s Unpeeled Apricot Halves in Pear Juice, along with a handful of other ingredients, to make this stunning smoothie in less than 5 minutes!

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04
Jul
2017

Chickpea Pretzels

categories: Gluten Free, Healthy, Snacks

An all-American snack made healthier and gluten-free with the help of chickpea flour.

Pretzels top the list of all-American snacks, right up there with popcorn, chips, and peanuts. The super crunchy packaged pretzels that line the grocery store shelves are salty and satisfying but the soft baked variety are a special treat. Warm and comforting and when dipped in mustard, deliciously addictive. But there are two problems with traditional soft baked pretzels. They’re typically made with wheat flour so they’re not safe for those with gluten allergies, and they’re a bit of a project to make. The yeast based dough needs time to rise and requires a bath in boiling water before being baked. Chickpea Pretzels skirt both of these issues. The dough is free of yeast and is made from gluten-free chickpea flour with a simple egg wash used in lieu of a water bath to give the pretzels their characteristic shiny exterior. This means that when a craving strikes you can be snacking on Chickpea Pretzels in less than 30 minutes! (more…)

21
Jun
2017

Healthy Hedgehog Candies

categories: Desserts, Gluten Free, Healthy, Snacks

The Recipe Redux is a group of like-minded food bloggers whose mission is to inspire the food lover in every healthy eater and inspire the healthy eater in every food lover. Each month members post recipes to their blogs following a theme set by the group moderators. This month’s theme is healthy small bite dessert creations. Be sure to click the Recipe Redux link at the bottom of this page to see all the posts for this month’s challenge.

Happy Birthday to The Recipe Redux! In honor of their 6th birthday, member bloggers were asked to create a healthy small bite dessert so I came up with these Healthy Hedgehog Candies. Are they not the most adorable little treats? The best thing about them though, is how delicious they are and how much they taste like real (i.e. not so healthy) candy. The bittersweet chocolate exterior hides a chewy, delicious, caramel-like interior that is made primarily from dates. Dates are among the sweetest fruits in the world so they make an excellent, healthier substitute for processed sugars. Unlike refined sweeteners, dates are chock-full of iron, potassium, vitamin A, and calcium, as well as other trace minerals. They’re also high in fiber. Trust me, you’ve never had candy like this before! (more…)

06
Jun
2017

Fig Prosciutto Mascarpone Sweet Potato Crackers

categories: Appetizers

I received free samples of the Breton Artisanal Sweet Potato and Ancient Grains Crackers mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Breton Crackers and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

Fig Prosciutto Mascarpone Sweet Potato Crackers are simple to make yet so elegant! The base for this beautiful appetizer is a new artisanal cracker from Breton made with sweet potatoes and ancient grains like quinoa and rye. These light, delicious crackers are spread with a thin layer of mascarpone cheese and dolloped with fig preserves. Crispy prosciutto pieces are then sprinkled on top with a finishing garnish of fresh rosemary leaves. This is an A+ appetizer for any occasion, casual or formal. (more…)